Always
by ThePhoenixLament
Summary: A peaceful outing with Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw. Our favorite couple makes up soon after the battle with ShadowClan. Post-Fading Echoes.


Leafpool's paws were smelling of herbs. She was just thinking of going to the stream at the ShadowClan border to wash them off when Jayfeather's musky scent stung her nostrils. The first thing that hit her mind was: _My brave, strong, caring son! He is so much like Crowfeather..._

"Leafpool!" Jayfeather hissed. "What are you doing in my den?"

"I - I wanted to talk to you," Leafpool mewed. "But then I saw you were stacking these herbs, and -"

"And what?" Jayfeather prompted. "Why are you interested in herbs, now that you're a _warrior_?" He spat the last word, making Leafpool's tattered heart rattle beneath her ribs.

Without a word, Leafpool pushed past her son, leaped down from the bramble screen, and sat down, watching dawn rise in the camp.

Mousefur was squeezing through the honysuckle opening of the elders' den and padding on the soft grass to the fresh-kill pile. Ivypaw was sharing a vole with Toadstep for breakfast, as Blossomfall looking on enviously. Dovepaw was coming out of the apprentices' cave to greet her sister when Ivypaw leaped to her paws to the warriors' den, so she could find Cinderheart.

Leafpool could feel Dovepaw's pain as well as her own. She knew how it felt to have cats avoid her, constantly. She was lucky she had Squirrelflight, and just then the dark ginger she-cat came over to meet her.

"Want to do some hunting?" Squirrelflight purred, glancing at Brambleclaw. Leafpool could see the wistfullness in her sister's eyes

"Maybe we should ask Brambleclaw first," Leafpool suggested.

Brambleclaw was in deep discussion with Lionblaze as they approached, most likely meowing about the recent battle with ShadowClan, and Firestar's recovery."He's old now," Lionblaze pointed out.

"I know," Brambleclaw agreed. "But I've never thought of Firestar as old. He's been so strong, and he only has two lives left now, thanks to Russetfur." He growled the dead warrior's name. "She may hunt with StarClan now, but she had no right to attack Firestar like that. You dealt with her well, Lionblaze."

Lionblaze nodded. He was about to open his mouth to reply when Leafpool and Squirrelflight had approached.

"Brambleclaw, we were wondering if we could go on a hunting patrol," Squirrelflight meowed, not looking at his eyes.

"I was about to send out the dawn patrol," Brambleclaw mewed with cold politeness. "Lionblaze and I, and possibly Dovepaw."

"We could join you," Leafpool meowed. She flinched as Lionblaze looked at her with curiosity and irritation in his amber eyes. _My strong, brave, amazing son, _she thought, looking at him wistfully. _If only I had made better choices..._

"That would be fine," Brambleclaw meowed, whipping around to whisper with Lionblaze. Lionblaze walked off to fetch Dovepaw.

When they returned, Brambleclaw led the way through the thorn tunnel.

"Can you smell that mouse?" Lionblaze asked, twitching his ears as Dovepaw parted her jaws.

Squirreflight watched them, both her kin, with warmth in her eyes. How many times could she wish that the three - sorry, _two - _were her kits?

Brambleclaw was leading the way up the ShadowClan border, Leafpool trailing after him with a thoughtful look in her amber eyes.

"Oh, look, horsetail!" Leafpool purred suddenly, her nose twitching. "Jayfeather will need some."

Squirrelflight knew that Leafpool was missing her old life as a medicine cat. Being a warrior was everything to Squirrelflight, but she knew that Leafpool's talent and passion was to take care of her fellow Clan-mates until their dying breaths.

"Is there something on your mind?" mewed a familiar voice, Squirrelflight jumped when she saw it was Brambleclaw.

"Yes, a lot," Squirrelflight admitted. "Lionblaze and Jayfeather have lost their sister, and Leafpool has lost all she has loved. Crowfeather hates her, her kits won't talk to her, she has given up her role as medicine cat, and most cats can't bear to look at her. Lionblaze and Jayfeather have no right to cause her this much pain!" Squirrelflight scratched at the earth.

"There's something else," Brambleclaw meowed quietly.

"Yes, and that's you," Squirrelflight mewed. "Will you ever find it in your heart to forgive me, Brambleclaw? I did what I could to protect and aid my sister; wouldn't you do the same for Tawnypelt?"

To her surprise, Brambleclaw nodded. "I would," he meowed. "And I forgave you already, Squirrelflight. I -"

He broke off as Leafpool purred with delight, "I caught a vole! _I caught a vole_!"

Squirrelflight smiled. Brambleclaw mewed, "Leafpool will learn the ways of a warrior, but she will always know in her heart that StarClan watches her expecially. She will never lose that connection. But she has done wrong, and she serves that time wisely."

Squirrelflight silently agreed. "I'm so sorry, Brambleclaw," she mewed.

"I forgive you," Brambleclaw told her, pressing his muzzle into her flank and inhaling her familiar, sweet scent.

**Please review!**


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